


Adrenaline Withdrawal

by Ollie_Mor



Series: On the Borderline [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Episode: ACCEPTING ANXIETY Part 1/2: Excepting Anxiety!, Episode: ACCEPTING ANXIETY Part 2/2: Can Anxiety Be Good?, Gen, Panic Attacks, Stream of Consciousness, characters are referred to by what they are known as, no unsympathetic characters because they are all parts of Thomas guys, not sad don't worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:55:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24473122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ollie_Mor/pseuds/Ollie_Mor
Summary: "Do you comprehend just how difficult my job is going to be with you gone?""Get over it. If you actually cared about Thomas, you'd get involved.""Maybe I will."
Series: On the Borderline [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813171
Comments: 15
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Accepting Anxiety Redux: the same two-parter with a little spice.  
> For context, this starts at 5:18. For clarity, bold+italicized words are pathological lies and/or very aggressive sarcasm. Unbold italics are just for emphasis.

"Well! Love has failed me."

With the focus directed to Patton's crushing defeat, no one noticed V- _Anxiety_ pop into the room, sitting higher up the staircase with his jacket haphazardly thrown on and his eye shadow underdone. Before making his presence known, he quickly pulled his hood over his head, forcing his bangs to lay on his forehead and giving him a gloomier aura. 

He was Anxiety, he hadn't revealed his name to the others yet, and his presence would not be welcome. 

With those rules in place, the side clambered down the stairs, Thomas' laughter ringing like death bells to his ears. 

"That can be applied to many instances in my life, the first being-"

" _Shut it, Sanders!_ "

The response to the sudden interruption was an influx of panic, which brought a wry smile to his face until he noticed a certain someone not reacting to his appearance.

Patton transitioned his terrified scream into a relieved cheer upon seeing him. With a shaky smile, he welcomed the black-clad side: " _Anxiety!_ You're here! Good to see ya, kiddo!"

Logan adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. "You have finally arrived, Anxiety. Right on time. We were discussing-"

Roman heaved a loud, obnoxious sigh and shouted: “ _No!_ Logan was _lecturing_ us on stuff that _doesn’t matter!_ ”

Anxiety groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “ _Okay?_ Well, what the hell is happening? What’s wrong with Thomas?”

Logan was the one to answer. “He has not exercised any caution since before the start of the video. I had hypothesized that it was your absence, but...”

The camera switched to Thomas, who was lazily shovelling granola into his mouth.

Logan turned back to face Anxiety, a look of mild disappointment painting his features, and continued his statement: “Your presence has not helped.”

Anxiety scoffed and brought his hood further down over his face. “Wow, **_thanks_** _,_ Logan. That **_totally_** doesn’t sting or anything,” he muttered. He needn't be reminded of how weak his influence had become during this particular crisis.

Logan stared at him in bemusement. Tilting his head in confusion, he replied: “You say that, but you clearly appear to be offended.”

Anxiety tensed up like he’d been caught in some lie, before relaxing as if he’d suddenly remembered something. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he addressed the room: “Listen, if his problem is a lack of worrying, I know just the place for us to go.”

Roman cried in frustration, and the black-clad side immediately knew the prince would be the one to throw a wrench in his plans. His creative rival snapped: “Like we need that! We were handling everything perfectly fine before you showed up, _Mr. Brightside!_ ”

Thomas nodded noncommittally and added on: "Yeah, I'm good, Anxiety. There's no need to be so... _anxious._ "

Anxiety groaned and gestured aggressively towards the bumbling stooge in the middle of the room. “Oh, really, Roman? Does that look fine to you?”

The others turned to find Thomas smelling his armpits, not even trying to be discreet. All parties' faces morphed into disgust at the act.

"Kiddo," Patton clapped his hands to get the man's attention, "c'mon, son, we're filming a video. Put your arms down."

"Yes," Logan sighed, "at least try to be professional."

"Thomas, just think about all the people watching right now," Anxiety growled threateningly, "they're all gonna think you're a _slob._ You'll lose your subscribers, your _precious_ fans..." The side grew frustrated upon noticing that the man was showing no sides of distress. "Literally, no one wants to see you like this! Have some _dignity,_ Thomas!"

Thomas just shrugged.

"That is... strange; he doesnot care in the slightest," the logical side mused, sounding perplexed.

"That's ridiculous, Logan! If there is anyone who can get Thomas stressed to look his best, it's his lovely audience!"

"Well, he doesn't seem stressed..."

"And even with Anxiety standing here in the room, he has expressed no worries this entire time."

Anxiety nodded, pleased to have at least one other person corralling these sheep. "That's what I'm saying, guys. If we just take Thomas to my room, maybe we can knock him out of his worry-less stupor."

Thomas stared at Anxiety, confused. "Wait... you guys have rooms?" He glanced about the house. "I don't have that many rooms..."

Roman scoffed. "To _your_ room? Why should we? This is just Thomas void of his inhibitions! We can do so much without him fretting over why or how!"

"Oh, _really?_ " Anxiety asked. "Oh, **_of course_** _,_ there's no way possible that perhaps a lack of concern could lead to a lack of drive. **_No, none at all_** _,_ " the anxious side drawled, sarcasm dripping from his speech. 

"On the contrary, Thomas' disregard for small things like brushing his hair and getting dressed properly is the first sign of a lack of productivity-" Logan's hand flew up to cover his mouth, and the other sides gasped before turning to look at Anxiety, who had a sour look on his face and his fist clenched.

"I _know_ that, Logan. What you just heard coming from my mouth was _sarcasm._ " His voice darkened and lilted as he continued: "Have you ever _heard_ of it? It's something that _literally everyone_ does." 

"Um, kiddo." Patton's voice shocked Anxiety out of his threatening stance, and Logan took the chance to pry his hand from his mouth. "What's going on, bud?"

"Not- it wasn't- ** _nothing!_** It's fine," he insisted, tugging on his hoodie to further shield himself from scrutiny.

"Falsehood."

Anxiety flinched and curled in on himself. 

"Um... is Anxiety who I think he is?" Roman asked hesitantly. 

Thomas looked back and forth between the sides, a dazed look plastered across his face. "Hey, guys... What's up...?"

" _ **Nothing** _is up," Anxiety growled, his voice filling with alarm. " _Listen_ to me, Thomas. We need to go to my room, give you a little dose of panic, and get you back to normal."

"I thought your eyeshadow was different today!" Patton cried, "It's... much lighter!"

" ** _Thank you_** for noticing, Patton," the other drawled, "you're always **_so vigilant._** "

"Oh. You're welcome?"

"I should have known that you'd have something to do with this, Dec..." Logan paused and glanced about the room before looking at his hands.

"What's wrong, Light and Nerdy?" Roman glanced at the other sides. "Get it? Like the Weird Al parody, White and Nerdy, but since he's a light side..." The prince trailed off, gesturing towards the teacher. 

Logan looked to the anxious side in confusion. "That's strange... I was about to say your name... but there was no force pulling me back."

Anxiety huffed and brushed his bangs out of his face.

"What's up, guys...? What is his name?" Thomas asked with slight intrigue.

"Just- just say it, I'm _so_ done," the anxious side groaned. 

" _DECEIT!_ "

With the blink of an eye, Thomas' Anxiety was replaced with... another side? He wore a black trenchcoat with golden trim over a dark purple button-up, and... was that a golden mask over the left half of his face? If Thomas squinted, he could see that the side's left eye was yellow and snake-like.

"Woah..." Thomas squinted at the side while swaying in place. "It's... is that me as the Phantom of the Opera?"

Jan- _Deceit_ rolled his eyes and scoffed before staring down at his nails as if he could see them through his black gloves.

"That would be Deceit," Logan corrected.

"That's the... that is our good old snake-guy," Patton added, trying not to sound perturbed by the other's presence and failing utterly.

"It's... um..." Roman snapped his fingers in an attempt to muster a proper nickname. " _Washington Deceit._ "

Thomas clapped sluggishly. "Good one, Roman. Roman, everybody!"

Roman sighed, finally understanding how troublesome this new Thomas really was. "Okay, how 'bout we do what... what were we talking about...?"

"Well, ya see, kiddo," Patton froze, "oh, I don't think I remember, either."

"Oh, **_great_** _,_ " Deceit whined, "how ** _perfect_** _._ It's been so long that you all are starting to forget the issue."

"That is, by definition, not perfect, Deceit."

The snake clapped. " ** _Wow_** _,_ Logan! **_Thank you_** for explaining it to me! ** _Where would I be without you?!_** "

"Ah," Logan nodded and gestured towards the snake, "now that, I understand, was sarcasm."

"Yes! It _was!_ " Deceit cried.

"No? It _wasn't?_ " Patton asked. 

"Goddammit," he groaned, running his gloved hands through his hair. Turning his attention to their host, he exclaimed: "Forget these _idiots,_ Thomas! Listen to _me!_ As your self-preservation, I will not have you dying carelessly!"

"But you're not _self-preservation,_ you're Deceit," Roman said with a frown. "You're obviously here because someone lied, and I suspect that it was... Logan!"

Patton gasped. "Logan! You know lying is wrong! How could you lie about... Roman, what did he lie about?"

"Why, he's been lying saying that something is wrong! Nothing is wrong! Everything is perfectly fine!"

"Wow, and they call me a liar," Deceit remarked.

"You are a liar!" Roman cried, "You're the evil guy. You do the... the villain thing." The creative side raised his arm to block his face before glancing menacingly between the others in the room. "Like that... Have you ever thought of adding a cape to your ensemble and ditching the overcoat? I know Thomas did wonderfully as JD in that production of Heathers, but-"

"Can we get back on track and get to V- _Anxiety's_ room?!" The snake clenched and unclenched his fists at the poorly avoided name reveal. He needed to keep his cool.

"Ah... to be frank-"

"But you're _Logan!_ " Patton blurted.

Logan closed his eyes and let out a deep exhale before continuing: "I was just about to suggest making a trip to Anxiety's room before Deceit, disguised as Anxiety, entered the picture. Now, I am unsure."

The lying side scoffed. "What is there to be unsure about? I am here to tell you with the utmost certainty that there is an issue with Thomas, and I know how to fix it!"

Patton sucked in a short breath; his face painted with guilt. "Uhhh, well, it's not that we don't trust you or anything, but..."

"You are the liar! The villain! The thorn in our-"

"I GET IT!" Deceit roared.

"Well, then you get why we don't trust you! Especially not when you show up insisting we hang out in the room of another dark side-"

"That title is made up and as dumb as your face," Deceit hissed.

Roman gasped.

Logan cleared his throat as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "That would hit harder if we didn't all bear the same face, Deceit."

" _Half_ of the same face, _Logic,_ " the snake corrected bitterly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, guys... did Roman just say _dark sides?_ Like... Deceit and Anxiety are _dark_ sides?"

Deceit lamented the fact that such words would be said with less laxity if only Anxiety were present.

"Oh... boy," Patton sighed, looking entirely too overwhelmed for this chain of events.

" ** _Nice going_** , Princey."

"Thank you."

"Now, I believe _that_ was sarcasm."

"Ye-" Deceit grimaced and nodded. 

"Oh! Do you mean to say yes or no?" Patton asked.

"Are your nonverbal confirmations lies?" Logan specified.

Deceit sighed and snarked, "We all know you'll doubt my answer to the question, so take them as you will." 

Logan hummed and summoned a pad and pen to take note. "I see, I will keep that in mind."

" ** _No thanks_** _,_ " Deceit replied, looking grateful. "Now, if we could get back to the matter at hand. I'm sure you all have figured out the situation-" the snake paused, noticing the subtle raising of Patton's hand. "Yes, Patton?"

"I haven't," the emotional side said with a penitent frown, and his face twisted at the liar's exasperated sigh. " _Sorry..._ "

"No, it's-" Deceit paused and simply held up an okay sign to reassure the other side. Patton's face brightened at the gesture. "To clear any confusion, I will be straight with you-"

" _Good luck._ "

"-and say that the reason for Thomas being this way is Anxiety's recent decision to leave the-" he glanced over to Logan and amended his choice of words, " _metaphorical_ table."

Thomas's head flopped to the side. "You guys can do that?"

Logan nodded. "To an extent, we can limit our own influence on you, but a situation such as this..."

"It's never happened," Deceit finished.

"Well, why would any of us ever wanna leave Tommy behind?"

The man in question had his pinky stuffed in his ear when the others turned their attention to him. 

"Thomas, I request that you stop. That is unsanitary and can lead to lasting damage to your eardrums-"

"Agh, stop that! Gross!"

"You're gonna hurt yourself, kiddo."

"What? I had an itch... I think someone is talking about me."

With a groan, the snake dragged a hand over his partially masked face. " _I_ am considering retiring as of late," he mused.

"Aw, don't do that!" Patton cried. 

"Don't kid yourself, Patton. We're better off!"

" _ **Yes,** _Roman. **_So much better off._** _Do_ enjoy performing when Thomas forgets how to act."

"But acting isn't deception-"

"Actually, Roman, there is a reason why Deceit's appearance is primarily influenced by popular theatre productions-"

"We are getting off track!" Deceit cried. Showing up was supposed to fix this problem faster. "Here is the fact of the matter: Thomas will die without fear."

Patton pouted, uncertainty painting his face. "How can you expect us to trust you're telling the truth, kiddo? It's kinda your job not to."

"Not the truth. _Facts._ Truth is subjective."

The other gasped. "What? No, it isn't!"

"Actually, Patton, as a matter of fact, it is. Truth-"

"We can save _that_ lecture for another time, Logan. Right now, I need you to explain why fear is important."

The logical side looked surprised to be interrupted but not disregarded. "Ah, understood."

"But it _isn't_ important! Look! Logic, Morality, and Creativity are all important parts of Thomas! We push him to amazing heights!"

"All the higher to fall from," the snake mused, messing with his gloves.

"Shut up," Roman retorted. "You're just nitpicking because you know I'm right."

The liar scoffed and waved a dismissive hand at the prince. "You're mistaken, that's Creativity's job."

Roman was fuming. " _My_ job is to be a handsome prince. _Your_ job is to be a scheming villain. And we all know that Thomas does not need more of those in his life! Especially not when they're all in cahoots!" 

The lying side rolled his eyes. Thomas certainly had a poor imagination if his Creativity believed Anxiety held the tenacity for scheming.

"Without Anxiety, what do we have to lose-?!"

“Thomas doesn't fear death!” Deceit declared in tandem with Thomas' own careless proclamation. They were met with a moment of shocked silence.

Roman glanced between the two, discouraged. "So, that just means... you're super brave! That's good."

Deceit huffed and gestured to Logan. "Logan, can you please explain the difference between bravery and the lack of caution."

"Of course," Logan nodded, conjuring a laptop. "Think fast!"

With that, the logical side threw the laptop at Thomas' head. A second after it had already hit, Thomas spun around to catch it. 

"That **_is_ **what I meant, Logan! Throw a laptop at him when he's defenceless! That **_is most certainly_** what I said!"

Logan ignored the snake in favour of explaining the example. "The difference, Roman, is that courage is the act of facing your fears. What Thomas just displayed was a lack of his natural defensive reflexes. Without them, his instinct for self-preservation is reduced," he punctuated the delineation with a small nod Deceit's way.

"At least that went somewhere," Deceit murmured. "Let us stop dallying and get to it, shall we?" Spinning around to address Thomas, he put on an expression that the others most commonly saw worn by Anxiety. He cleared his throat and began speaking with the other side's voice: "Thomas, without fear, you are much more likely to die prematurely. Just think of all the _horrible people_ out there who'd love to take advantage of a handsome young man such as yourself. You are not safe without your instincts."

"What is he doing?"

"I believe he is attempting to instill a feeling of fear in Thomas to pull him into Anxiety's room."

" _Deceit...!_ You know that other people aren't _that_ bad..." From the look on Patton's face, that was code for: _"stop talking."_

Willing away a smile at the other side's discomfort, Deceit proceeded: "Without the _constant_ worry that you may be a _terrible_ person, how can you tell that what you're doing isn't _hurting people?_ "

"Now, kiddo-"

"How can you be sure that others take your work _seriously?"_ Logan stiffened, and Deceit finally understood how fun of a job Anxiety had. "With you acting like this, you'll be regarded as a _joke._ "

"That is... a disconcerting thought."

"Are you certain that what you put out is _worth the_ trouble?" He hummed, pleased as Roman flinched, deciding to sprinkle a pinch of deception in. "How can you be when **_nothing you do is ever good enough?_** "

"Don't listen to him, Thomas! He's the villain of the episode!"

"The answer is that you _can't_ tell, and a life where you aren't bothered enough to care is one you will be disadvantaged in at every turn."

Thomas nodded his head as he listened, pointing to Deceit as the snake continued his tirade. "I mean, he does make some... _points._ Get it? _Points?_ " As the man looked around, he noticed that the other sides had sunk out. "Oh, guys? You're sinking out?" He looked down and realized that he had started to do the same. "Aw, me too? This is new!"

As he rose back up, an action that left him lightheaded, he was hit by a rush of cold air. Glancing around, he laughed. "I knew I should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque!"

"Uh, no. This is where we needed to go," Logan corrected.

"I know, I know. It was- it was just a... a joke..." Thomas sheepishly replied.

* * *

_**TO BE CONTINUED...** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be clear, Deceit IS capable of telling the truth, it's just a habit of his to answer in lies. He's a pathological liar, but that doesn't mean all of his statements are untrue. It simply means that he often lies in situations where he reaps no benefit-e.g., "You've seen the last of me."
> 
> Y'all don't know how frustrating it is to have so many ideas that involve massive rewrites and be plagued with writer's block for every other fanfic I start. Please comment, it helps me cope.


	2. Chapter 2

"I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque!" Thomas cheered a second time.

"Redundancy is _**such**_ a pleasant colour on you, Thomas."

Thomas laughed and turned towards the staircase to face Deceit, only to find that the snake wasn't there. "Huh... he disappeared."

"No, he didn't," Logan grunted as he was violently shoved out of place.

"Where is he?!" Deceit near-screeched.

"Whoa... talk about no chill," Thomas mused. As the lying side searched the room, the man took a moment to take it all in. "Ah... the deepest... _darkest_ corner of my mind... looks exactly like my living room if Halloween came early! I mean, _spider webs..._ _Nightmare Before Christmas..._ "

Roman spun around and lit up at the sight of the posters. " _Ah! I love it!_ "

"The room varies depending on whatever your current location is. Traits you assign to Virgil will be found here. Illustrated by the darker atmosphere and the band posters."

After spinning about a few times, Thomas turned to face Logan. "What does the bathroom look like?"

"I do not know, and that inquiry is not relevant right now."

"I mean... we could _check._ "

The logical side stubbornly held back the flood of rage building in his mind. "We are not going to check because we need to fetch Anxiety."

"He could be in there-"

"I assure you he is not. _Thomas...!_ " Logan heaved in a breath to keep from shouting. "Stay focused."

"Excuse me, Patton," Deceit muttered before moving the emotional side and peering around the curtains. Then, he was hit by the realization that what he was doing was stupid and that Anxiety couldn't possibly have been hiding in behind the curtains. As he was about to storm away, Patton yelped, and he paused. "What?"

Patton's lips were pursed in a baby-faced pout. "Nothing..." he squeaked, "it's just that... _spiders..._ "

" _What spiders...?_ " As far as Deceit knew, Anxiety only had one and kept that tarantula in an enclosure. After all, nothing would make the black-clad side more anxious than the worry that his dear pet could get lost somewhere and possibly killed out of fear. His eyes followed where Patton was pointing. The fool was afraid of the print on the curtains.

Logan sighed, rubbing his temples. "That is just... the pattern on the curtains, Patton."

The empath whimpered as he glanced between all the unimpressed faces of the room.

"Oh, come now! Those are just cartoons! They aren't even _realistic!_ " Roman assured him. "But, if need be, I will destroy them for you, Patton," he added, tone deathly serious.

" _Seriously..._ " It was no help to Thomas' current state if his Morality was incapable of functioning because of some measly drapes. Deceit hissed before blowing on his fingers and flicking the other's forehead. " ** _Spiders aren't real, and you aren't afraid_**."

"Oh..." Fear fled Patton's expression as he looked at the other side in awe. "Wow, _thanks,_ kiddo-" The rest of his sentence was muffled as Deceit pushed him out of the way.

" _Unforgivable!_ " Roman cried, unsheathing his sword to face the villain. "Do not treat Patton like a ragdoll to throw around, you _slippery snake!_ "

"Okay, we are going to just ignore that he did the same to me?" Logan asked, and when no one acknowledged his complaint, he sighed. "Wonderful."

"You can have all the pity you want when you accept that you have feelings, Logan," Deceit snarked.

" _Ohhhh!_ " The others cheered as Logan glowered.

" _Quiet!_ I think I hear him!" Everyone shut their mouths and listened out for the anxious side. After a few moments of reticence, Deceit continued his frantic search, not heeding Roman's brandished sword as he elbowed past him.

" _Hey!_ " The prince attempted to drive the snake back, but he dodged out of the way. "Did you hear him or not?!"

Deceit hummed and turned to face him when he reached the banister. " _ **Yes, I did**_ ," he lied, "I just **_didn't_** want you all to stop talking."

"Now, that's just rude!" Patton chided.

" ** _And I care_** ," Deceit purred, climbing up the stairs.

Thomas frowned. "Um... What are ya doing, bud?"

"Anxiety! Get down here this instant!"

"I don't think he's-"

"Come out, you little shit!"

Logan groaned as the liar stomped down the stairs and back into the room, shoving past him. "Okay, this is going to be a figurative nightmare to edit later."

"I'm gonna have to edit this?"

" _ **No**_ , Thomas. _**The tooth fairy is going to take a break from her busy schedule to edit it for you**_ ," Deceit gibed.

Patton grinned. "Aww! That's so _nice_ of her!"

"Patton, that's not-" Logan shut his mouth and shook his head. "It's not worth it. It's not."

"Talk about verbosity, you all don't know when to _shut up_ ," the snake hissed.

" _Aha!_ That's a _lie!_ " Roman exclaimed triumphantly, "Logan shut up just now!"

Upon circling back to Patton's side, the liar was hit with an epiphany. "Is he not coming because of me? Is he that spiteful? Does he want Thomas to die? Because if this carries on for long enough, that will happen; furthermore, if Thomas dies, we all go with him." The other sides, sparing Logan, looked increasingly distressed at Deceit's monologuing. The snake spun around to face Thomas with a crazed look in his eyes. " ** _Thomas, you're about to die, panic_**."

"What? That's a bit dramatic-"

Deceit held up an unclenched hand, and Thomas began screaming.

Patton gasped and grasped at the liar's arm, shaking him in desperation. " _Deceit!_ Don't do that! How do you think Anxiety will feel when he finds Thomas yelling in his-"

" _What are you doing in my room?!_ "


	3. Chapter 3

" _What are you doing in my room?!_ "

The sudden appearance was met with a chorus of shrieks, though, at the sight of the black-clad side, Deceit visibly relaxed. Until now, he hadn't been entirely sure what the lasting effects of Anxiety's little disappearing act would be. The emo's absence didn't inspire any urgency in the so-named _Light Sides,_ but Deceit's own stress about things not going his way prevailed. One could say that it had been heightened. Did that mean that...?

The liar shook those thoughts out of his head. The worst possible outcomes were not pleasant to dwell on in this corner of Thomas' psyche.

" _Anxiety?_ " Thomas gasped. "Oh my goodness, I am so happy to see you! That's weird!"

"You literally all just screamed in unison upon seeing me," Anxiety grunted.

"Sorry," Logan apologized, "it's just you do- you do this thing where you just kinda... _appear._ "

"Don't sell yourself short, Anxiety." The emo stiffened at the voice and shot a glare towards the snake standing beside Patton. "You don't understand just how _relieving_ it is to see you," Deceit promised. The words sounded too genuine for the snake despite their obvious irony.

Anxiety scowled at the liar. " _Wow._ Screw you, too."

"No, that's not-" Deceit paused. Anxiety would never listen to him, and besides, the liar would like to distance himself from the sincerity of his statement. He was only pleased to find that Thomas would no longer be the useless slug he'd been mere moments ago. Anxiety himself had nothing to do with it. With his focus on his own self-denial, the snake was too preoccupied to see Thomas throw a hairbrush at Roman. He might've laughed had he noticed.

"Thomas, what the hell is _he_ doing here? What did you do? Did you lie to someone? Do you know how _risky_ something like that is? What if someone found out and told _everyone,_ and now you have a reputation as a _liar?_ "

Thomas hummed and gestured towards the anxious side. "Ah, yep. There he is. My Anxiety is back full-force."

"That isn't-" The anxious side looked guilty. "This is the reason I left."

The man in the center frowned. "But... _why?_ I get that maybe you didn't want to hang around, but I wasn't feeling your presence at _all!_ "

"Yeah, I know. It's because I've decided to duck out."

"Quack?"

Deceit shot Patton a disapproving look.

" _Duck out?_ "

"Quack, quack."

The liar elbowed the empath.

"That's a thing you can do?" Roman asked, befuddled.

"For this video, I guess," Logan answered.

" _Yes,_ " Deceit began, and all eyes turned to him, "and a _foolish_ thing to do, which I warned him would only lead to trouble, but let's not dwell on _that._ "

Anxiety rolled his eyes. " _Yeah,_ like I'd listen to _you_ when it comes to what's good for Thomas."

The snake glowered. "Well, your spiteful insistence not to nearly killed Thomas, so _**good job,**_ " he admonished the other side.

"That is false," Logan corrected. Turning to Anxiety, who appeared troubled by the accusation, he assured him: "While the situation without you led to... issues, Thomas was not in any immediate danger."

" _He could have died,_ " Deceit mused.

Logan's face bore a look of weariness he usually wore when facing Anxiety's unyielding cynicism. "Let us all be glad that we caught the problem before anything damaging could have occurred instead of dwelling on possibilities."

"Yeah, Deceit, you aren't really helping," Thomas cut in with a grimace.

The serpentine side feigned a gasp of shock. "How _inconsiderate_ of me! After all, it **_is_** my job to be nice, **_not_** get you out of predicaments. You **_wouldn't_** already understand this if you didn't block me out."

Roman stared at Deceit with a confused expression. "What are you even _saying,_ you wretch?"

"Something important, shut up," the snake responded blankly.

" _Aw..._ If that's how you feel, bud," Patton spoke, coming closer as if to draw the other side into a hug.

" _No!_ " Deceit lifted a gloved hand to block him, and the empath backed off reluctantly. "This isn't the video for that. We're dealing with _this_ issue right now," he said, gesturing towards Anxiety.

The side in question scowled, and Thomas scrambled to do some damage control. "W-what he means is that we should stay focused! How could you think leaving would be a good idea? Surely you, of all sides, would know how much I need a little voice to keep me on my feet!"

The emo looked surprised at the declaration, but he quickly replaced the look with a sullener expression. "Well, you all made it clear that I wasn't wanted... _every time_ I showed up."

" _Wha-?!_ "

"Except you, Patton. You're a funny guy."

Patton beamed and keened his head to mutter to Deceit: "I love my dark, strange son."

The snake gave an eye-roll in response.

"Well, _surely,_ you knew we were just preparing ourselves for the _worst possible-_ "

Anxiety grimaced at the prince.

Roman winced. "Okay, ah... maybe I could rephrase that. We were just tensing up because we _knew_ something bad would-"

The black-clad side looked to Thomas with a hand raised as if to say: _"are you hearing this?"_.

"Look, it's just- you're never much fun-" Roman's hand shot up to cover his mouth, and Anxiety flinched, glaring at Deceit.

"Three strikes, you're _out,_ Princey," the liar derided.

"Let him _go,_ Deceit," the emo growled.

He relented, though not without an eye-roll.

Thomas stared at him, wondering if one could hurt their eyes from how frequently the snake rolled them. " _Yeah..._ I don't really condone the silencing, Deceit," he said with a look of discomfort.

" _Ha!_ " The prince cheered. "In your face, _snake!_ "

"Still, you _do_ need to shut up, Roman."

The side gasped, taken aback at the betrayal. "Hey! Listen, I am your _creative_ side, not your _cutesy, fluffy, kind-wordsy_ side."

"One would _think_ that the creative side could come up with a nicer way to _talk_ to others," Logan ridiculed.

"You'd think the _smart_ side would know when to mind his own _business_ ," the prince shot back.

" _Okay,_ " Anxiety cut in, "it's sweet that you all decided to come for a visit, but if I wanted to stand around being insulted, I would've shown up in person like I usually do."

Patton pouted, his eyes welling with tears at the comment. " _Oh, you poor little anxious baby..._ "

Deceit elbowed the empath once again, "Don't _patronize_ him, Patton," he grunted.

"Let's just face facts, you're better off without me."

" _No...?_ " Thomas said, sounding unsure. Suddenly, the meaning of what the emo said hit him. " _No!_ No, no, that is where you're _wrong!_ "

"Very much so. I don't think any of us comprehended how much you factor into Thomas' decision making."

" _Yeah!_ " Thomas nodded exultantly.

"I mean, without you, he was acting like a- um... just a _big, bumbling couch potato man._ "

"That- there's probably a nicer way to say that, but-" the man stuttered sheepishly.

"Just an _unfiltered..._ " Logan trailed off before clicking his tongue and continuing, "just gonna come out and say it, _a cotton-headed ninny muggins._ "

The insult was met with the gasps of everyone in the room beside Virgil and Deceit. The snake chuckled, clapping at the accuracy of Logan's words.

"That is enough out of you... _Logic!_ " Thomas chided the logical side.

"See, he's reigning me in, right now, because of you."

"You _do_ talk too much sometimes," Anxiety replied.

Logan fought to keep from smiling. "I never thought I'd appreciate you saying that."

"Not _enough!_ Keep going," the snake cheered encouragingly.

Patton pouted at Deceit before joining the discussion. "We've already learned that Thomas listening to _me_ too much can be a problem. Same with Roman. Probably even Logan!"

The teacher laughed before shooting the empath a stern glare. " _Easy._ "

"Deceit, too, he-" Patton turned and jumped at the sight of the curtains. " _Eek!_ Spiders! Have those been there the whole time?! _Are they on me?!_ "

Deceit sighed, "Ah, that's quick." He huffed and worked his magic with another forehead flick. " ** _Those aren't spiders, those are... ants._** "

Logan looked skeptical as to how the lie would comfort Patton. " _Ants?_ How are those better? They're proven to be more aggressive than spiders."

The serpentine side shrugged, "They're hard workers."

Beside Deceit, Patton was now calmly humming _The Ants Go Marching._

" _Alright!_ " Anxiety called out, returning the attention to himself. "I can't say it doesn't feel good to hear you all grovelling, but... I actually think you were right to not want me around. I've always aimed to _protect_ you, but lately..." he looked at Thomas with a remorseful expression, "it feels like I've been keeping you from _anything._ "

"If your only goal is to protect, then why do you act like the embodiment of a dark and stormy night all the time?"

" _Roman..._ " Thomas sighed.

" _What?!_ He's a creepy cookie!" Roman justified before turning to berate the emo once more. "You're a _creepy cookie,_ Anxiety!"

" _Roman!_ "

"Let me shut him up, _please,_ " Deceit groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"You're like a-an oatmeal raisin cookie that's primarily composed of raisins. _A raisin oatmeal cookie,_ no one wants that!"

"Pump the brakes, Princey!"

"I'm sorry."

"You pump those brakes."

" _I'm sorry._ I'm just- I'm feeling a little... um... extra _passionate_ here."

"When did you apply eyeshadow?"

Deceit flinched at Patton's observation. _Whoops... that was no good._

"I _didn't,_ " the prince answered, "but does it look okay? Because a prince has got to slay."

"Of _course,_ it looks good! Why would you think it wouldn't? Do you have self-esteem issues?" The empath gasped. "Am I asking too many questions?"

"Morality, _hush..._ " The snake muttered, wishing for some quiet so he could conceive of a plan to escape this room before any drastic consequences befell them.

"Putting on a dark persona is the best way to get anyone's guard up..." Anxiety grunted, answering Roman's interrogation, "...but all this _reflecting_ and working on your issues with us has gotten me to think that... I overdo it."

"You could _never_ overdo it!" Patton cried.

"Mm... _well,_ " Thomas hummed, not wanting to object and make the black-clad side feel worse.

"You are _amazing_ and _exceptional,_ just the way you are."

Deceit side-eyed the empath for the choice of words; those were not the words he'd use, or rather, they _were,_ but he would use them to talk down to others.

"I don't care how dark your clothes are. You shine... _bright like a diamond!_ "

"You o- you okay, Patton?"

" _I just got a lot of feelings..._ "

"Hey, Patton!" Roman called out with a grin. " _Eyeshadow buddies_."

"We _are_ buddies..."

Deceit heaved a deep sigh, regretting his place between the two most fragile sides. He was standing beside the banister next time, he'd already decided.

"Look, Anxiety, you're a natural fight-or-flight reflex. That's what you are instilled in humans to act as..." As Logan spoke, the words blurred together in Deceit's head. All he could focus on was the darkening eyeshadow beneath the teacher's eyes and how the quickening pace of his lectures left him overly conscious of his own breathing. He waited impatiently for an opening to warn Thomas that they'd been here too long. "...The point is too much of anything can be counterproductive."

Deceit took a deep breath before interjecting: "Thomas, I believe that now would be a good time to-"

" _Hold on!_ " The logical side interrupted. "Yes, I'm about to provide more exposition, Thomas. Just bear with me."

The man nervously glanced between the teacher and the fidgeting snake as he nodded. " _Okay..._ "

"The relationship between Anxiety and performance can be expressed on this curve. Known as the _Yerkes–Dodson curve._ It's named after the psychologists, R. M. Yerkes and J. D. Dodson. They-"

" _Get on with it, calculator watch!_ "

" _Yeah! Loud noises!_ "

Both Patton and Roman's hands shot up as Deceit hissed, "The _less_ you interject, the _quicker_ we can be out of here."

The empath nodded obediently, and the liar relinquished his control over him. He did not do the same for the prince, as Roman's glare told him that he would not be a willing ally.

"Okay, up here is where you want to be," the teacher taught, pointing at the highest point of the graph. "The optimum degree of constructive tension. Yes, too much Anxiety pushes us to this side of the curve and..."

Despite himself, Deceit began to dissociate as Logan spoke. He shouldn't have brought them to Anxiety's room... but Thomas was the liar's key to getting in. The only issue was that once Thomas was in, there was no way to keep the others _out._ Even if there was, the black-clad side would never dream of listening to Deceit alone, so the others were needed to fish him out of his pit of self-loathing. However, the self-proclaimed _Light Sides_ tackled no issue swiftly, so the liar should have seen this coming.

Compulsively, he began plotting what he'd say when he was made to defend his decision to expose Thomas' sides to Anxiety's room. _There was no other choice, and the risk was worth it anyhow._ Good, that would do it.

However, planning ahead only served to remind him of where he was now.

Deceit could feel Patton's heartbeat as if it were his own, and the serpentine side subconsciously matched his breathing to its hastened pace. In his dazed state, his influence over the prince must have faltered, as he could hear Roman's voice as he came to.

"...I am _bitterly jittery_ and _not very glittery._ "

Anxiety frowned. "So, with me, aren't you just always on the other side of that... _curve thing?_ "

" _Yerkes-Dodson curve,_ " Logan corrected sharply.

The anxious side flinched away from the teacher. "Yeah, _that._ "

Deceit couldn't keep the words spilling from his mouth if he tried. "That **_can't_** wait until after we've left this panic room. Thomas-"

"There are ways that I can work on that, Anxiety, but I'd rather work on it with you than without you at all."

"How?"

"I just need to make you feel listened to. You're like a-"

"Listen to _me_ right now, Thomas," Deceit hissed. He was getting fed up with no one listening to him. "This is such a _**serene**_ and **_soothing_** place to hang out, but _we need to leave._ " He took a deep breath as the words of truth burnt his tongue. "There's all the time in the world for comforting metaphors _outside._ "

Logan shook his head at that. "No, Deceit, I find it imperative that we get this message across to Anxiety now." The only response the snake could muster was an aggravated hiss. The teacher ignored him and turned to address the anxious side. "You're what made Thomas double and triple-check things he needed to study before tests-"

" _Also, you are that feeling of tingliness after achieving something he didn't think was possible!_ " Patton yelled.

" _Machiavelli!_ " Deceit cried in tandem with Logan's exclamation of: " _E equals MC-scared!_ "

"Sorry, was that too loud? I was worried I wouldn't get another chance to speak, and I wanted to share my thoughts before I forgot it."

Deceit trembled as he tried to steady his breathing. Unconsciously, the twined his fingers together and pressed his hands to his chest. He needed an out right now. Thomas was about to have a panic attack, and he was nowhere close to realizing it. To his right, Patton was twisting back and forth at the waist and hugging himself tightly. The empath had already said his piece, and the snake could tell that parental words of support could only get them so far. To his left, Roman was biting his thumb, mumbling incoherently. _Ah... that will do._ Deceit snapped to get the other's attention.

" _Go on,_ " he hissed underneath the reassurances Thomas was showering his Anxiety with, "tell him what you're thinking."

"I mean, it's cool to see you all trying to be helpful." Anxiety shot a side glance towards the prince. "Well, _most_ of you, but-"

" _Anxiety,_ " Roman blurted, catching the black-clad side's attention, "you're... what pushes Thomas to _rehearse_ and _rehearse_ before performances. You are that nervousness that he feels right before going on stage, but just as he does so... you ease up, and... you let his excitement and passion for performance take over."

The anxious side's eyes widened.

"I think that's as good a sign as any that... you're willing to work as a team... and that you make us... _better._ "

Anxiety's face lit up, and his smile felt like something that Deceit was not permitted to bear witness to.

The touching moment was short-lived, however, ruined by Roman's screaming. "Was that good? Did I do _good?!_ "

"I'm gonna cry. I just don't want to lose any of you!"

Logan held up his graph, circling the heightened-tension end of the curve. " _Yerkes-Dodson!_ "

"Uh, oh..." Anxiety trailed off.

"Uh, what the heck is going on?"

Deceit opened his mouth to answer but found that instead of words, he could only let out a threatening hiss.

Thomas jumped away from the serpentine side.

"These guys have all been in **this corner of your mind for too long... It's corrupting them,"** the black-clad side explained, slipping into his Tempest Tongue.

Um, _yeah?!_ That was what Deceit had been trying to warn them this entire time!

**"All their main functions are starting to work to drive you far over to the other end of that curve."**

" _What?!_ " Thomas cried, finally stricken with panic.

**"Hang on; we're getting them all out of here. Thomas, remember what you've learned... Breathe in for four seconds."**

The man obeyed. _One, Two, Three, Four._ Logan sank down with a smile.

**"Hold your breath for seven seconds."**

_One,_ Deceit felt a calm wash over him as his breathing slowed. _Two._ He remembered the many times he had talked the anxious side through this breathing exercise. _Three._ Closing his eyes, he let the tranquil feeling drag him down. _Four._ He sensed Patton's presence accompanying him and couldn't help but feel reassured. _Five._ He was safe. _Six._ _Thomas_ was safe. _Seven._

**"Now, breathe out for eight seconds."**

_One, Two, Three, Four._ Roman still looked distressed, but he, too, sunk down. _Five, Six, Seven, Eight._

**"Keep it up, Thomas. That's good, keep going."**


	4. Chapter 4

Deceit did not open his eyes when they made it out of the panic room. To be perfectly honest, he had assumed that dragging Anxiety back into place would drive him back to the deepest corners of Thomas' subconscious. However, the smell was off, the temperature was different, everything was slightly out of place, and the serpentine side could tell even without opening his eyes. That was worrying, sure, but compared to what he was experiencing a moment ago, it was nothing. He heaved out a sigh, untangling his hands. Rolling his shoulders, he knew that his joints would be sore from all the tension for some time after this incident.

Even still, Thomas was safe, and that was all that mattered.

" _Hey._ "

He froze, and when he opened his eyes, he was greeted with a regular living room and the accusatory stares of his peers. _Damn,_ just like high school. One of those pairs of eyes was a very angry looking Anxiety. Oh, _precisely_ like high school. "Oh, shit- _shit,_ " he swore, attempting to quickly sink down as he blocked the unmasked half of his face.

" _Um,_ wait for a second, Deceit," Thomas called out.

The force of the man's words yanked him back into the room, and he scowled, " _Here we go..._ "

"Uh, _yeah,_ here we go," Anxiety grunted, "Why the hell did you bring _him_ into my room?"

Deceit shrugged because, honestly, Anxiety should already know why; playing with his gloves, he mused: "You **_totally didn't_** tell me to get involved. I **_don't_** recall that happening."

"You of all people should know what sarcasm is. If I knew you were going to get involved, I never would have left!"

The snake just had to laugh at that. " _Oh?_ Then I **_shouldn't_** have made my intentions clear!"

"Um, guys? Maybe you can have this argument later-"

"Not now, Thomas!" The dark sides yelled in unison.

"You _knew_ what bringing him to my room would do," the emo growled.

"Yes, but it was worth the risk to have you..." Deceit trailed off before amending his words, "... to have _Thomas'_ _Anxiety_ back." That brought a scowl to the black-clad side's face, and the snake continued: "We both are aware that you ** _totally would_ **have listened to me had I been able to enter your room without Thomas' aid."

Thomas glanced between the two sides, muttering: "These two have a _history..._ "

Patton put a finger against his lips to shush him.

Logan looked between the arguing sides, notepad at the ready to take notes.

Roman was trying to look innocent, but anyone could see that he was the most interested in the spillage of the figurative tea.

The serpentine side went to brush back his hair and was struck with a rush of self-consciousness regarding his mask. He typically wouldn't say these things with it on. Sincerity was communicated best face to face... however, honesty meant nothing coming from the mouth of a snake. "My plan _wasn't_ without fault, but an ideal set of circumstances wouldn't have included your removal in the first place."

The black-clad side looked... vaguely touched at that; then, his face twisted. "So, you're saying that it _would-_ "

" _Oh my god!_ " the snake shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "All the others get to tell you how- how _important_ you are, but when I do it, I'm the bad guy!"

"Aw, come one, buddy," Patton began. There was a cautious tone to his voice that the liar simply despised: like a fool testing a rattlesnake.

"It _is_ your name," Roman muttered.

"Oh, _what's in a name,_ Roman?!" the snake snapped. "Tell me, what does it matter what my name is? My title is only Deceit because that _ **isn't**_ what Thomas subconsciously views me as."

Thomas pursed his lips in confusion. "I _still_ don't know what's going on," he mumbled, sounding small.

"Well, we don't have anything else to call you," Roman argued.

"Oh, boo hoo, Princey," Deceit jeered, holding his fists up to his eyes mockingly. "You **_totally_** get to judge me for my name, it's not like you have three of them."

"Um... _on the topic of names..._ "

Deceit's head snapped towards Anxiety, and the others followed suit.

"Huh?"

"What about names, kiddo?"

"I believe he's referring to..." Logan trailed off for Anxiety to finish.

The emo nodded. "My own name, yes."

Roman's eyes widened. " _Shut up._ "

"Oh, that's okay," Logan replied, forcing a supportive front when he also wanted to hear it. "No pressure, if you don't want to-"

"Logan," Patton interjected, "Shut your _ever-flapping_ gobtalker, okay?"

"You want to tell me now? No pranks this time?" Thomas asked.

The anxious side shook his head. "Not this time. Oh, man. Why did we have to have a heartfelt moment?"

"It's absolutely fine. This is a very accepting environment. But I have to tell you that I've been theorizing on it for a very long time. So, if it's not exactly the name that I think it is..." he paused before continuing in a distressingly dark tone: " _I will lose it._ "

Beside the empath, Deceit shot Patton a disconcerted look.

"Okay." Anxiety glanced towards Deceit in a short moment of nonverbal communication. _Please,_ he thought, eyes darting between the liar and the other sides, _keep your mouth shut._

The snake blinked at the anxious side's silent request before biting back a smile. Unbeknownst to Anxiety, Deceit misinterpreted it as a plea for him to silence them if they speak out of turn. _Little Anxiety still needs an anchor, huh?_ He nodded, the shadow of a smug expression gracing his features, and the black-clad side already looked to be regretting his decision not to just kick the snake out.

Turning his attention to the other sides, Anxiety nervously requested: "Will you just...? Just promise you guys won't laugh."

"Never!" Patton exclaimed, arms flying out and accidentally smacking Deceit. " _Oops!_ Sorry!"

"An unlikely response, I assure you," Logan confirmed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"A prince would never commit such a heinous act!" Roman declared it so grandly that it couldn't possibly be true.

"I promise, Anxiety," Thomas spoke, causing the anxious side to jump and look at him. "It's okay." He smiled, and Deceit felt out of place watching as his ex-ally struggled not to do the same.

"My name..."

Deceit raised a hand in anticipation, and Patton lightly smacked his arm down, possibly under the assumption that the liar was about to cut the name reveal short.

" _My name is Virgil!_ " Virgil shouted, and Deceit suddenly found a significant weight being pulled from his shoulders.

The liar stood straighter and unconsciously adjusted his coat. Hm... It wasn't perfect, but he was no longer slouched shorter than Patton.

"Okay. It's like a band-aid. You just gotta rip it off," Virgil muttered before glancing apprehensively between the other sides, trying to gauge their reactions.

" _Vir...gil?_ "

Roman snorted, and Deceit responded by silencing the prince.

The black-clad side hummed anxiously.

"Oh, but that doesn't end with _"-an"_ or an _"-on"_... Shouldn't it be something like, uh... _Virgin?_ " Patton suggested, ever the epitome of childlike ignorance.

Roman's laugh, though muffled, was clearly audible.

Thomas shot a disapproving glance at Deceit, who reluctantly released his hold, before scolding his creative side. "Why's that so funny?"

"Um... because, um..." The prince looked down, dejected. "It's not."

Thomas faced Virgil to flash a reassuring smile. "I think it is an _awesome_ name."

"It's not what I anticipated, but I do like it," Logan appended.

"It's different, but I _like_ that it's different," Patton added with a grin.

Deceit rolled his eyes. Hadn't it been Patton who said that he'd lose it if he hadn't guessed correctly?

"It was... unexpected, but... it took a lot to trust us with that information..." Roman hesitated before continuing, " _Virgil._ " The name sounded unnatural from his mouth, and Deceit had to admit that during this troublesome two-parter, he had become accustomed to hearing the black-clad side be referred to only by his title.

"Eh," Virgil replied. "You can call me Virge."

Thomas clapped. "Well, this has been a day, learning to embrace all of who I am, learning new things about myself..." He trailed off before facing the snake that stood beside his Morality. "Like that, I have a deceitful side? Why have you never shown up?"

" ** _You don't,_** " Deceit said blankly. " ** _We will never speak again._** "

"I..."

Logan pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before correcting Thomas. "It would be more accurate to describe Deceit as your selfish side. Lying is just one of his main traits."

"I have a selfish side?"

Patton winced at the question.

Virgil narrowed his eyes at Thomas. "Are you really phrasing that as a question?"

The man's answer was little more than an unsure whine.

Logan hummed, unimpressed. "Thomas, it could prove to be harmful to worry this much over the implications of Deceit's existence-"

" _Hush now!_ " Deceit cut in. "This is _Virgil's_ pity party; we can talk about troublesome moral dilemmas some other day." _Such matters needed a more subtle approach,_ the snake insisted as he broke the fourth wall.

"Um... okay," Thomas said with uncertainty before addressing his Anxiety: "Thank you for opening up to us, Anxiety- uh, _Virgil._ Virge, for short."

"Whatever," Virgil shrugged, looking just the slightest bit flustered by the newness of being called his name after so much time spent playing the bad guy. "I'm at least glad I can offer some help, even if sometimes I can be... _hard to deal with._ "

"In Thomas' case, you are indeed manageable," Logan affirmed to him.

Deceit took that as his cue to leave before any more attention was called to him-

"Yeah, and you are nothing compared to the others." Roman's careless remark startled the room into muteness. Deceit hissed and silenced the prince, but the damage was already done. _Dammit._ It wasn't enough that he had to reveal himself at such an inopportune time? They also needed a little teaser that there would be more to come?

" _Others?_ Not _one_ other?" Thomas asked, gesturing towards Deceit. " _Multiple_ others?" The snake kept a hold on all the other sides except Virgil. The two shared another moment of nonverbal communication, one where the liar demanded the emo keep his mouth shut, and the emo looked perturbed at the very thought.

Deceit suddenly gasped and pointed behind Thomas. " ** _Oh no... t_** ** _here's one behind you!_** "

Thomas spun around to look but only found Roman standing in his usual spot. "Hey, that's just..." he turned to address the snake but found that the serpentine side had already sunk out. "Well, this is foreboding."

"Ah, it's nothing. So long!" Roman cheered, sinking out to escape responsibility.

"Farewell," Logan appended, sinking down before Thomas could ask any more questions.

"Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight~!" Patton sing-songed, following the others' example and high-tailing the heck out of there.

Thomas turned to his Anxiety with an incredulous expression. "What was that all about?"

"Look, I know I'm the one that's causing you to be suspicious, but honestly, save that question for another day," the black-clad side reassured him.

"Gotcha," the man assented, nodding. "And Virgil?"

" _Yeah, it's weird hearing you say that,_ " the emo mused.

"Honestly, thank you for all of the good stuff that you do provide... You can be a good guy."

Though he tried his hardest, Virgil couldn't keep the smile from spreading across his face. With a small salute, he sunk out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has an unreliable narrator! Keep in mind the effects of cognitive distortions on personal truths. You can be one hundred percent sure about someone's intentions and still get it wrong.

Virgil narrowly avoided glancing at the handmade card Patton gave to him that he held in his hands, the shadow of a smile gracing his face. It was so... cheesy and dumb. So... so... cutesy and stupid. He _hated_ how much he _liked_ it. The very act of cherishing this silly little folded sheet of printer paper went against his whole identity. Sparing a glimpse at the card, he immediately broke out into a painfully wide grin. He chuckled in bemusement, not understanding his reaction to such a small gesture. It was just a little card, with a bit of wordplay thrown in along with a crude drawing of the four of them: a family.

The four of them... just four... 

That didn't change that there were others, others that, no doubt, sarcastically referred to him the same way and pulled tricks on him each chance they got. They joked and laughed, and sure, they let Virgil stay around because where else would the anxious side go? Who would've taken him in if not for J-?

But it was different now. 

Was it really?

 _He_ wasn't gone, and Virgil could never get rid of him. Something about self-preservation and denial and repression that he'd heard muffled by his headphones countless times before. That snake... he was needed in some small way, at the very least to keep Thomas from straying into the darker parts of his subconscious... but that didn't make him hesitant to reveal facts when it suited him. He'd never held Virgil back but also never actively encouraged the black-clad side to get involved, which would have at least kept him in the shadows through pure reverse psychology. That meant the reveal had been part of the liar's plan, or at least not detrimental to it, and for Virgil to do anything less than impeding that conniving-

" _Oh, Virgil~!_ "

Speaking of the serpent...

Even with his headphones blaring, Virgil couldn't escape the plotting of _that two-faced viper_. Without pausing his music, he yelled, "Screw off!"

He didn't want to deal with this right now. The implications of Deceit... _wholeheartedly_ trying to retrieve him from his self-imposed isolation flew around in his head like an angry wasp... and he still hadn't recovered from that article Thomas had read about spider-killing wasps. Ones that paralyzed tarantulas and laid their eggs in their prone bodies-

"I'm respecting your privacy by knocking but asserting my authority by coming in anyway!"

The black-clad side jumped, scrambling to hide Patton's card. He settled for shoving it behind his back just as the snake popped into his room. "Get the hell out of here!" he hissed.

"We **_don't_** need to talk, Virgil," the liar hummed, glancing up from his nails even though he was still wearing those edgy black gloves like he always did.

"Don't call me that," Virgil growled.

" _...Virge?_ "

"No."

The snake's expression grew dubious. " _...V?_ "

"None of that!" The anxious side shouted, throwing back his hood and headphones. "We aren't friends-" he cut himself off before he could say _"anymore."_. Grimacing at Deceit's expectant look, he continued: "...so don't act like we are."

"Oh, Virgil... I'm ** _flattered_** that you think that way of me."

"That- what?"

"Now, Virgil..." the liar sighed, making his way over to the couch. "Come, come. I wasn't lying saying we need to speak."

"But you _literally_ said we _don't_ need to- whatever! I'm staying right where I am."

The snake simpered as he sat down, but Virgil could tell he was seething. " ** _Good choice. I was planning on biting you if you were to come closer._** " He reclined, propping his feet on the couch.

"Get your feet off that."

" _ **You can't make me do anything,**_ " the snake hummed but obeyed.

The emo rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Deceit?"

"Oh, we're back to using titles?" The serpentine side placed a gloved hand over his heart. "How heartless..." 

Virgil glared at him. He was not willing to throw away the others' trust by... _buddying up with Deceit._ He'd just earned it.

"Let us **_not_** start with your complete and utter betrayal of my trust. I think that's a **_horrible_** start."

"Like you are one to trust people..."

"You're **_right,_** I let **_everyone_** in my room. **_Logan and I play chess on Thursdays._** "

"Can you cut the lies for once in your life? It hasn't gotten cute," the emo derided.

 **_"Patton helps tend to the lies and truths, Roman practices his monologues-_** "

"I get it," Virgil snapped. "You let me in your room, you don't _do_ that. What's your point?"

"You acted without caution, Virgil. This is one of the only times you have, and you _utterly failed._ " The side in question scowled, but what Deceit said next struck him. "As did I. It seems that I made a mistake trusting you."

The emo scoffed. "Trusting me? You never even told me about the function of those things-"

"So, I failed to inform you of _one little detail..._ " he trailed off, looking to the side with a feigned look of puzzlement plastered over his face, "and you used it against me when you figured it out for yourself..." Nodding, the snake continued with a sneer: "Yes, **_I'm_** in the wrong for not offering the _fruit of knowledge_ in this instance."

Virgil crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall. "So, what? You just came here to lecture me?"

Deceit hummed thoughtfully and nodded. "That is the gist of it, yes."

The black-clad side groaned.

Leaning forward with his hands poised in that stupid villain pose he did, the snake inquired: "Do you understand just why your little screw-up was such a bad decision?"

Virgil glared at him but answered: "It didn't really help."

"What was that?" the snake jeered, a gloved hand cupping his ear.

"It didn't actually help Thomas!"

"And why is that so terrible? Why would it have been beneficial to have _never taken that risk?_ " Deceit hissed at him.

"He could've gotten hurt, and I get that." He hadn't been thinking, and he'd prefer not to think about that _now._

"Do you?"

"Yes!"

"Then, when did Thomas' personal safety come after your own insecurities?"

The anxious side froze. "What?"

"You left because of how the others perceived you. Even when I have told you, time and time again, that your role is crucial." 

_You could have been_ ** _lying,_** Virgil thought but didn't dare say.

"You disregard my advice and throw all caution to the wind when it comes to making these _awful decisions-_ "

"I didn't-" It was never about _him;_ it was for Thomas!

"Why is it so hard for you to understand? What do their opinions of you matter, Virgil? What have I told you from day one? Don't-"

" _Don't buddy up to the others!_ I know! But guess what? I like it _better_ with them."

"Do you now?"

"Yes-"

"Then, tell me, Virgil-"

"No, I'm done with your bullshit-"

" _Goddammit V-_ If they really knew what was best for Thomas, they wouldn't have driven you away!" The half-mask fell from the serpentine side's face as he stood, and the emo finally got a glimpse of the liar's desperation.

Virgil was taken aback. He glanced away, not bold enough to face the snake's firm stare. Sure, the others had stressed over and over how essential his job was when they came to retrieve him, but that didn't take away the fact that they were the ones who made him feel like he had no purpose, to begin with. But who had been the one who always consoled him, who reassured him he was needed? Who brought him down from panic with a silver tongue and mindful words? The anxious side's expression of shock was promptly supplanted with one of disgust. "That was a misunderstanding. It's different now."

There was a hint of disappointment in the liar's eyes. It was as if he knew something that Virgil didn't, and he was troubled by the idea of breaking the news to the black-clad side. He huffed and sat back down. "I suppose so." 

The snake was tense, his hands now intertwined as he leaned into them, obscuring his mouth. His left leg trembled before he gave a sharp exhale and crossed his right leg over it. Becoming bigger was not a viable option, so the serpentine side withdrew. Virgil stared at him, noticing each nervous tick but not knowing what to do about this knowledge. The liar would need to leave his room _soon,_ but now for his own good.

"That is because I allowed it to be," Deceit alleged, knocking Virgil out of that train of thought.

He glared. "What are you talking about?"

"Without my say-so, those fools wouldn't have been allowed to even speak about going to your room. Who do you think corralled those sheep into your little playpen?"

 **"What are you talking about?"** he repeated with gritted teeth.

The snake let out a small hissy laugh, fueled more by frustration than amusement; with much difficulty, he pried his left hand out of his right, running it through his hair. "I'm being so _frank_ with you, Virgil," he laughed shakily. "You refuse to take my words for what they are, and _honestly_ , it's giving me a migraine."

"You're still being vague as fu-"

"Then, that **_isn't_** your problem. I'm **_not_** done here. _Tah tah!"_

"You can't just-" but when he blinked, Deceit was already gone.

Virgil huffed. Lifting his headphones from where they sat beside him. He didn't immediately put them on, instead opting to stare at where the snake had been sitting. That... didn't play out as he'd expected. The liar hadn't attempted to... tempt him back to the dark side. There was no mention of returning, of abandoning all his progress, or... becoming a bad guy again. Deceit made no allusion to the retribution he'd threatened in their last interaction... no comments of his plot to _"make Virgil regret what he's done."_. He hadn't even demanded that he return what he stole. The anxious side had thought that had been his purpose in helping the others in the first place-

"Oh!"

Virgil definitely didn't yelp as the duplicitous side reappeared.

"I **_hadn't_** forgotten," the snake lied with a hand over his heart. "How **_thoughtful_** of me. You **_did_** get rid of it, **_didn't_** you?"

The emo studied the other side's still unmasked face, wondering if he could somehow sense what he'd been thinking. "No... I didn't. I didn't know how..."

An almost relieved smile crossed the liar's face. "Excellent. **_Toss 'er over._** "

He was about to get up when an arm popped up next to him. "What the-?!"

The hand sat poised, waiting for the anxious side to comply. 

Virgil summoned the python from where he'd hidden it and placed it gently in the palm of Deceit's extra hand. Its grey scales glistened silver even with the room's dark atmosphere. He couldn't bear to think what it would look like in say... Roman or Patton's rooms. Then the implications of that thought struck him. He wouldn't dare to think about that... because the only purpose a serpent would have for being in any room other than Deceit's was-

The arm sunk down and reappeared attached to the liar. The silver snake slithered from Deceit's third hand to his left arm before climbing up to rest on its owner's shoulders. "I'm **_not_** grateful that you spared the poor thing," the serpentine side conceded, looking down at the reptile with a strangely gentle look in his eyes. 

"As I said: I didn't even know how to get rid of it."

"Hm, how else?" the liar mused, swiping a finger across his neck to mime the action of slitting his throat.

Virgil cringed before glaring at the other side. "You kill your snakes?"

Deceit gave him a bothered look, one that said: _"did you really just ask me that?"_. "It's **_just_** a figment, Virgil. **_No need to get all sentimental,_** " he scolded, but the delicate pat he gave to the python as it attempted to brush against his cheek was a stark contrast to his words. 

The anxious side squinted at the other's posture. The liar seemed to visibly calm at the serpent's touch, though it wasn't anything too notable since he had already relieved himself of the room for a moment before returning for his... pet.

"Whatever," Virgil spat, "just get out. You're not wanted here," he added on for good measure.

The serpentine side simpered as the python around his neck hissed dangerously. " ** _You can't get rid of me that easily, V,_** " he drawled. Even still, as soon as the words left his mouth, he was gone.

"Looks like I did!" Virgil shouted to an empty room. However, there was no response from the snake. It felt like a shallow victory, Deceit leaving. The anxious side's space wasn't the best place to catch up, sure, and the liar had been showing clear signs of agitation... He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen him in distress. He knows for sure that, before today, he'd never had to talk down any of the sides from a panic attack, only Thomas. 

What would happen if Deceit, of all sides, was overcome by fear?

Virgil scowled and shook that idea from his head. Too much could go wrong. The others had a hold on Thomas' emotions and thought process, sure... but the duplicitous side enshrouded the man's subconscious. Virgil couldn't afford the liar leaving for as long as he remained useful.

He was confident that it was fair, though. After all, Janus must've felt the same way about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me if the serpent's role isn't clear, I can explain it in the notes. I kept it vague for further development later in the timeline, but I understand if clarification is needed. 
> 
> Please! Tell me if you like it!
> 
> Edit: Since someone asked, I'll explain: Janus' serpents are the manifestations of lies and truths. They lack sentience and are lesser entities than the sides, falling under the category of "figment". The distinctions of colour and type of snake are very important! Though, I do want to play it close to my chest and keep some things up to speculation for now and reveal details at a later point.


End file.
